Acne Topics

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Using Honey to Treat Acne

What Makes Honey an Effective Acne Treatment?

Honey has been a natural remedy for wound treatment and skin conditions for hundreds of years due to it's natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory characteristics. Additionally, honey has been proven effective against drug resistant strains of bacteria. These properties make it effective at fighting off bacterial infections and keeping skin from becoming inflamed. As the world became more technologically and medically advanced, remedies like honey, apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, and other natural means of healing or curing common ailments became less popular. People have slowly come to rely on heavy antibiotics or other chemically based products to help treat their acne, and yet acne still plagues a large portion of our society. What does this say about the effectiveness of these mainstream convenient products that are marketed as acne "cures" or treatments? Have you ever read the ingredient list for any of these mainstream acne products? I have, and I typically recognize maybe one or two ingredients at most. I can't even pronounce most of the ingredients listed on the label, so why would I use it on my skin?

I'll admit, I fell into the trap of mainstream acne cures and treatments. All the promises of being acne-free and having perfect skin in a matter of days was appealing, and I couldn't resist. After many years of trying over-the-counter acne products I realized that all of them essentially had the same primary ingredients, and if one didn't work for me, neither would the others. That's when I turned to natural remedies for treating my acne.

Honey- Nature's Cure

Natural remedies for healing and treating acne breakouts are becoming increasingly popular as most people have realized that over-the-counter acne products are not as effective as they often claim to be. Many acne sufferers have discovered the benefits of using honey to address acne breakouts. As mentioned earlier, honey has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, which address two major issues that can lead to acne breakouts. The antibacterial qualities address the pesky bacteria that initiates breakouts while the anti-inflammatory properties help reduce redness and swelling. Honey has actually made a big comeback in other countries as well. In Australia, honey has been approved for medical use. In the UK, honey has been used to dress wounds in hospitals and is also sold in pharmacies in creams and ointments.

How to use honey to treat and heal acne...

Before you go check your cupboard and pull out that old honey bear in the back of your shelf, we need to talk about how to use honey effectively. You should only use raw, organic, unprocessed honey. The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of honey are lost when it has been processed and heated and put in those cute little honey bear jars that you see on your grocery store shelves. When you use raw organic and unprocessed honey, you are getting those beneficial qualities that make honey an effective acne treatment. If you can't find raw organic unprocessed honey at your local store, you can purchase it online. The goal is to get as close as you can to the honey that comes straight from the honeycomb. Manuka honey is said to be the best product when using it to treat acne, however it is hard to find in stores.

Amazon is one of the best places to find reasonable prices on organic Manuka Honey, here's the brand that I always use!

Okay, now that you have your honey you need to know how to apply it. Your face should be cleansed and makeup free before applying the honey. Any acne sufferer knows that you should avoid using your fingers to apply products as you have oils and bacteria on your hands that can exacerbate acne. That being said, you should use a cotton ball or even the back of a spoon to apply the honey all over your face, like a mask. Leave the honey on your face for about fifteen minutes to allow it to work. Then, just rinse with warm water and pat your face dry with a clean towel. You'll notice after just one use that your skin will feel smoother and more hydrated. If you can do this daily, that is great. If you don't have the time to do so, try to use the honey on your breakouts at least 2-3 times per week. You can also use it as a spot treatment rather than an all over facial treatment. You should start seeing results within the first few weeks of using the remedy. As with any acne remedy, it will not work for everyone. It's a process of trial and error, and if everything goes as planned the honey treatments will help heal and prevent acne breakouts leading to clear and radiant skin.